Clip-loading machine.



L H. WESSON.

CLIP LOADING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY24. 1917A Patented May 21,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR .WITNESSES:

J. H. WESSON.

CLIP LOADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED our/24. m1. Patented May 2L 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

[j INVENTOR WITNESSES: X3 25 1 fl By Attmvzeys, W ak @w 6 y I. pr B'e itknown that I, JosEPH zro'snrrrnwnsson, or SPRINGFIELD,ivinssAcrrusn'r'rs; nssienon 'ro sin'rrr & WESSON,

or srnmerm nn, MASSACHUSETTS, A VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATION.

I "Toull w hom it may concern: i f

e H. Wesson, a c tizen=ofthe United States ofAmerica,

* residingin Springfield, in the county of 5 Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'inClip-Loading Machines, ofwhich the following isfa specification. i u

This:invention provides a machine for lo loading cartridges into clipsin order. to constitute loading packs. The machine-Tis especiallydesigned for loading such clips I for revolvers. The particulargclip forwhich the embodiment of the invention hereclips are set forth inmyapplication, filed 'A pril8 1917, Serial No. 159,388.. a

t Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is aplan of the loading device,being partly brokenaway in horizontal section.

section the line Fig.5 is an under side of the oscil lating chamber. 1 rH i Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 5,6 6 in Fig. 3.gFigsfif-and 8:

the reciprocating slides. 11 *1 Fig is a plan thereo "zontal sectionn iX *Fig. 10 isa plan'of theclip to be loaded.

ion with inward projections formingba,

ces's'es b b; the mouths or entrances to "which I areslightly narrowerthe body c of-the *with illustrated is designed: is one for hold- 1ingthree (moreor less) cartridges in circular order, being one-half (ofother fraction) 1 1 i of the. group of cartridges to be loaded intothecylinder of a revolver. Such segmental r Fig.2 isa plan thereof,showing the parts 1 in a different position and being also partly areside and front views of it f, .p artly in hori- 1;

*The drawings illustrate a hand-operated been {metal having an annularouter 'porlETE ()FFICE.

cmrmoamne CHIN recess so that the cartridgesnhave to be n Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented lilay 21 1918, Application filed May24,1917. Seria1 No.j170,5 83.

forced in under some slight pressure and when entered are held withsufiicient firmness for the purpose.

The apparatus comprises a rotatable chamber A open on top and having aslight access 0 in its .upperpart for receiving the -clip; beneaththis'the wall of the chamber has three vertical grooves or sockets at. al (ifor admitting and'guiding the cartridges as .they. are put into place inthe. clip. The chamber A; as shown has the form of a disk eat the bottomwith a wall f occupying about one-half its circumference, the other halfbeing cut away to admit the entry of a reciprocating plunger or: ram B.The chamber A has a radial handle g for turning it to its successivepositions. Y

The plunger B is shown as a slide which is mounted upon a slide C (seeFigs. 7 and 8), the two being connected by aspring connection whichpermits of a limited extent lof movement of the one independently oftheother. The slide C is engaged and reciprocated by a lever D which may beoperated by hand or otherwise.

The main moving parts thus described are r all carried by a main frameor housing E which is formed with a suitable base adapted to be screweddown to a workbench. It is suitably, slotted to admit the movement ofthe lever D and has a pivot; screw for the fulcrum of this lever. Itforms the slideway for the slides G and B.

' It forms also the bearing forthe chamberA and has an arc-shaped slotfor permittingthe swingingmovement of the arm 9.

The operation may now be understood.

v The operator drops a clipa into the recess a of the chamber. Thenbringing the parts to the "position shown in Fig. 1, he drops a "of theplunger Band moves the lever D to thrust forward the plunger B andthere- F'by push this cartridge into the socket b of the clip; and" thenwithdraws the plunger cartridge down in front of the curved end toitsoriginal position? Then (by means of the handle 9 or otherwise) he turnsthe chamber A to bring the nextsocket of the clip into line with theplunger. He then dropsanother, cartridge and repeats these woperationsathird repetition results in dottecblines at h and h lf" It is desirabletorelieve the ioperatorzof t fully charging the clip, whereupon he liftsoutthe cartridge pack and repeats the per- At each turn of partiallyinto three successive sockeye in the chamber, one of which is showuat"it" in Fig. 1 and the twg others are indicated in U having to turn thecylinder after each stroke the next socket "plunger." *It is desirablethat this feeding movement for turning the chamber be p erformed" after1 the plunger B hasnioved back toits normal position and while "itremains; stationary in U such position "(being the position showninfFig. 2) To accomplish this theslide is-{given a backward movement inexcess {of that of the plunger B; In the backward 1 movement theplungerxB is stopped by the i;of 'theplunger, and for thispurpose-analltomatic turning or' feeding z'deViCe is pro- -vided', whichis shown as consisting of a I ratchet and pawl the. ratchet being formed'1 as teeth i one hub portion j atzthe bottom of the chamber A; andthepawl'being sh-ofwn as a hooked arm Fcarried bythe slide "and-having atail which receivesct-he ipresr sureof'a spring 7c (-Figp9)". At .eachback 1 "ifstrokeof.the-fslide Gthe pawll'F-engages one of theratchetnotches i and turns-the; chamber A the requisite. distancexto'bring, of the clip into" line with the "end of a slot Z thereinstrikinga stop screw m see' Fig. 2) wher'efupon the 'continued backwardmovementofthe lever D carries theslide C back-sufliciently to causethepawl 'Fto' turn the/chamber A; This brings the "slide C andlever D tothepositions shown i in Fig. 2. On'the next forwardstroke the pawl'nuoves forward--on the ratchet, :the 5 i451,

Presently' the slide Gencountersthe plunger B by the-abutment of theirshoulders 19 (Fig. 3;); and 'thereafterxcarries the plunger 13forj-"wardfor thenext active stroke. The sepa- 5ov by the s ringconnection already: referredto 5 ration ofthe plungers B and C ispermitted 7 which is coi'i'veniently'constructed-as shown mi Fig g ands;Th pIunger-B has a'tubujAfter theg three 1 lar'eirtension glclosedat'the rear end by: a; :cap 9 and incl'osinga' spring awhiclrreactsafter the resultingipackzis removed, lthe opefiof ithecartridge bases; 7

I th a mfe I I unimportant details are vshown. "which may be brieflydescribed. The plunger B ha'S atop-=1) ce 'B 'fast'enedonitin order toextend s-:;working race as high as I the base of the cartridge; ThechamberA.

held againstupw'arddisplacement by havthe chamber it is held in [its Prp po i 0 1 by a pr e fl teh .1 la'tch which is conveniently constructedas a spring-pressed ball li the ball entering ginvention.

chamber being held'by the springbolt 'hL cartridges have been i aslsembled ih the clip' and eitheraibefore or] i erator will 'man ually joscillate the chamber 7 A back to thestarting point by means of Some,

ing' a screw shank u on-which is screwed a .h'ut u}; ,Th lever D ispivotedjOn a t d d passes through a slot in o. the

base E and in theslide Gybeing itself slotted and engaging-a screw10inat which enters its slota'nd is seated in-the slide-1C, These nandxother details of construction may :of course, be. widely variedaccording :to. preference-or theprecise form of'cartridge or Jclip ,withwhich the machine is-tobe used; "QThe' device "thus sh-ownand describedat .forols in the hands of a skilled operator. a

meansriof charging clips which increases the v I sr y handloading'; vvQTh -;,-rev,ol f-ng', or: oscillating chamber- A(rate-of-productionvery materially over what a1ined with the clipsockets -72 6, these de-:

'press'ions receiving the cartridges in order to 'assistxin;guiding themcorrectly into place. :While'I have referred to the/revolving member asachamber, it will be understood that its function: is essentially thatof a holder for'ithe clip and for the cartridges wh i'chfaresuccessively pushed intoplace in 'the'clip; and that its formandaarrangement and mounting may be widely varied without departing.from the essential: features of the My invention is tabs-distinguishedfrom machines for introducing cartridges into cartridge belts, in whichthe cartridges are pushed endwi'seginto successive pockets in the belt,the latter being fed forward from one pocket to thenextuafterteachcartridge is introduced. It is also tobe distinguished from those'"clip-loading. machines which assemble a group of cartridges in"linesideby :side andithenzunite them by ameans of a metal clip which.issubstantiallystraight and. h asfsideiflanges which embrace thecartridge rims between them; such clips, which are designed forgma'gazine rifles, in which th cartridges are fed up, through the breechof the rifle; from a {magazine beneath, are

wlocatedto the rear of thecartridgeybases'and hold the cartridges instraight; r0w, whereas the clips which-anyinvention-is designedforloading are of zfiat metal platein curved orfarc-shap'ed form, havingra'dially directed isoeketsl-for the cartridges (opening eitherinwardlyjor outwardly),,": {311d hOlding the cartridges separatedand incircular order byiengaging. their necks in a plane forward I claim as myinvention 1. A clip loader comprising an oscillatable holder for theclip and means for pushing successive cartridges bv a sidewise movementinto the sockets of the clip.

2. A clip loader comprising a holder adapted to receive and hold a fiatresilient it for. pushing successive cartridges by a side- Wise movementinto the sockets of the clip.

a. A clip loader comprising an oscillatable holder for an arc-shapedclip having radially-opening sockets, means for intermittently turningit, and a reciprocating plunger for pushing successive cartridges by asildewise movement into the sockets of the 0 1p. 5. A clip loadercomprising an oscillatable holder for the clip adapted to receive andhold a flat resilient clip having radiallyopening sockets, a'reciprocating plunger,

and means for alternately turning the holder and advancing andretracting the plunger.

6. A clip loader comprising means for holding an arc-shaped clip having.radiallycessive cartridges into the sockets of the clip, the one meansreclprocatlng relatlvely to the other to so introduce the cartridges,

and the respective means being operated during the successive pushingstrokes in different radial directions relatively to the clip,corresponding to the angular radial arrangement of the sockets of theclip.

7. A clip holder comprising means for holding an arc-shaped clip havinginternally opening sockets, and means cooperating therewith for pushingsuccessive cartridges from a position approximating the center of thearc of the clip in'an outward radial direction into the successivesockets of the clip.

8. A cliploader comprising an oscillatable holder having a recess foradmitting a clip,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for may turn, and a slideway forguiding said plunger.

10. A clip loader comprising an oscillatable holder for the clip, areciprocating plunger, receiving a cartridge in position perpendicularto the movement of the plunger, and intermediary means whereby thereciprocating movements of the phmger are communicated to intermittentlyturn the holder.

11. A clip loader comprising a holder adapted to receive a flatresilient clip having radially-opening sockets, and means for pushingsuccessive cartridges into the sockets of the clip comprising a plungerand means for reciprocating it, with an interposed pawl and ratchetdevice for intermittently turning the holder during the retractilestrokes of the plunger.

12. A clip loader comprising an oscillatable holder for the clip, areciprocating plunger, and aslide for moving said plunger, said slidehaving a movement independent of the'plunger, and means between saidslide and holder for turning the latter during said independentmovements of the slide.

13. A clip loader comprising an oscillatable holder, a reciprocatingphmger, a slide having a spring connection with the plunger and adaptedto execute a retractile movement beyond that of the plunger, means forintermittently turning the holder during such retractile movement, andmeans for reciprocating the slide.

it. A clip loader comprising means for holding a flat resilient cliphaving laterallyopening sockets, and means for pushing cartridgessidewise into the sockets of the clip through the open sides of saidsockets.

15. A-elip loader comprising a holder for a fiat resilient clip havinglateral sockets, the holder having a recess for receiving the clip andmeans for assembling cartridges in said sockets by a sidewise movementin the plane of the clip'by successively pushing the cartridges throughthe open sides of the sockets.

16. A clip loader comprising a holder for a fiat resilient clip havinglateral sockets With contracted entrances, and means for assemblingcartridges in said sockets adapted to force them sidewise into saidsockets through their contracted entrances.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

Josnrn H. WESSON.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Fatents, Washington,I). 0.

